Welcome!
For this post I will start with my verses from January 15, 2011, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. How did these verses come to me? Last year I invited my old group of Bible study sisters to join me in the Siesta Scripture Memory Challenge. I had moved to Colorado from California 5 years earlier and left behind a wonderful group of women. Some of us had still been in touch, and a couple of others had also moved away, so I sent out an email to all that I had contact info for, inviting them to join me in memorizing scripture. To my shock and delight, almost every one of them said yes! What’s more, we all began catching up, reconnecting, and one of these darling ladies even suggested a reunion, which we all decided was a wonderful idea! This reconnection was the first of many unexpected blessings to come from hiding God’s word in my heart.
One of my lovely California friends, Anita S., chose 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a for her first verse (sometimes a “verse” ends up being a passage, and that’s okay!).
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails.
At the moment I received Anita’s email sharing these verses, and her precious explanation about how she wanted to love her family and those around her better, I was completely irritated with half of my family over something trivial and silly. My sweet friend’s words instantly convicted me, and the phrase “love is not easily angered” kept ringing in my mind the rest of the day, and helped me recover from my quick and easy anger. I knew right away that this passage would be my 2nd verse. Anita had read somewhere that we can insert our own names in place of the word “love” and see how much of it is true. (I also read this later in Francis Chan’s “Crazy Love.”) This was a great exercise for me, and I found it so powerful that I started reciting the passage with my kids, having each of us insert our own names as well. We all fall so short of the mark, but these verses help so much to remind us exactly how high the mark is to truly loving people as Jesus did and does. Go ahead, try it! Say your name instead of the word “love” and she (or he) instead of “it” in the passage above!
You may be wondering, why memorize Bible verses? Isn’t reading them enough? In case you need some reasons, here are a few:
1. Going deeper into God’s Holy Word. Of course it’s good to read the Bible, in fact it’s completely necessary if you really want to walk with Him. Even better to study His Word. By committing scriptures to memory you are going even deeper into His Word and your walk.
2. If that’s not enough, and because I love mulitasking, it’s also good exercise for your brain.
So last year those were my reasons for starting the challenge, a new way to go deeper, and a new challenge for my aging brain. Through the course of the year I learned of another reason.
3. It will change your life.
How? In many ways, in different ways for different people. I’ll elaborate more as we go through the year, but for now take it from some other ladies who completed the challenge last year. You can read their comments on Beth Moore’s Living Proof Ministries blog. This post was a roll call, designed for those who had successfully completed the challenge to check in and also to let Beth’s ministry team know who was coming to the celeberation, but some of us just couldn’t help throwing in a few words about how memorizing scripture had affected us in unexpected ways. You can read the blog and the comments by clicking here.
My verses this time, continuing with Jesus’ sermon on the mount, are Matthew 5:4-7.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
I would love it if you would join me in learning more about this sermon on my friend Cara’s blog (and I hope that you will!), even if you are memorizing different verses. (My verses are slightly off from hers because she is posting them weekly and I am continuing with the 1st and 15th for posting.)
Now it’s YOUR turn! Please post your verse(s) in the comments below. If you have done the challenge in the past, consider sharing something about your last year’s verses or how memorizing scripture impacted you, and I’d really love it if you ladies would comment on each other’s comments, so that we can build a real network of accountability, support and friendship. And it’s never too late to invite a friend or group of friends!
Thank you so much for coming! Hope to see you again on February 1!
“The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26
Hiding God's Word in Our Hearts 
Christy, I can’t thank you enough for inviting me to this blog. I wish I had know about this challenge last year – it would have helped stay grounded. I read your memory verse from last year (1Cor 13:4-8) and inserted my name where it said love. This exercise has humbled me.
My memory scripture today is from Philippians 2:3-5
” Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vein conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus”
Last year (i now realize), was ministry as usual. I became comfortable and down right lazy. I am an intercessor, a prayer warrior!!! The burden’s God would put on heart to pray about, did not seem as urgent as they once were, when God impressed upon my heart to pray. When prayer was answered, I wanted to share in the glory – not good!!!. People that know me, would be surprised at this confession. This year, God is doing open heart surgery on me. He is creating in me a clean heart. Brain surgery is next… my mind has to align with the new heart.
Dear Matilda,
I am so blessed to have you participating, and your words speak straight to my heart as well! I can definitely always use a good verse on humility, thank you for sharing your wonderful choice! I know exactly what you mean about your prayer life, I am experiencing the same kind of conviction in that! Beth Moore shared some thoughts on prayer in a video this past week which I found very helpful and inspiring. I am going to incorporate some of her tips into my prayer life this year in order to shift the focus back to God and his great glory, and off me and my awesome prayerfulness (my own confession). I was going to share the link to the video here but it looks as though it has been deleted. 😦 I will share it here if it becomes available again, or you can check in at http://www.livestream.com/livingproofministries
I am thanking the Lord for you now!!!
In His Gace,
Christy
Amen!
Thank you for your encouraging words. When I went to church today, the preacher taught a lesson that was confirmation of what I have gone through and what I can do.
I hope to share the message with you all.
I really needed this verse tonight – it is so easy to get caught up in the “story of me”
Thank you-
Cris
here are my verses:
Matthew 5:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
i love how you are comparing your verses from last year. it is good to look back and see where you were with God and where he has taken you. mine this time last year was Galatians 5:22-23, the fruits of the spirit. it was so meaningful to me then that i bought a wall plaque with the words of the verse on it and hung it by my coffee pot, the place where i find myself every morning. it is my greatest desire for the Holy Spirit to ripen this fruit in my life every day.
love you sister..
Thank you! It was funny because I was on a ski lift when I got that email from Anita with those verses, and yesterday I was on the very same ski lift, one year later. Also, I had forgotten how well skiing and practicing memory verses go together! 🙂
Love you too!
ok so I am new to all of this blog reply stuff ~
Last verse: Romans 12:1 “I urge you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy scacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” –
I started this and now want to do a passage so I am adding onto the first (hope this is ok)
Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
I can’t decide how far to take the passage so I may just see how it goes and if I think I can do more I will. I have just been struck by this and how important it is to not be conformed to this world. Secondly that in order to be discerning I need to know what God’s word says so that I can compare it to false teachings/false prophets and know what is true! As I have heard ~ if you study the real thing when a fake comes by you’ll be able to see it for what it is!
Finally, I need to be transformed by the renewing of my MIND!!! What better way to renew my mind than memorize the Holy Scriptures! 🙂
So happy to have you here, Nita! Love your verses, and there are no rules at all about what verses you choose, so just go where the Lord is leading you! Thank you for sharing what what you heard about the truth vs. false teachings, that’s a great point!
Thank you for sharing. I will meditate on this scripture as well.
Matilda, I’m so excited to see you commenting on other comments! I am really hoping for community here!!!
In 2011 my second verse was Ps 86:11 — Teach me your ways O’Lord and I will walk in your truth, give me an undivided heart that I might fear your name. — I was reading Made To Crave at the time and this is one of the verses she used. I wanted to make it one of my verses since I’m prone to having a ‘divided’ heart rather than having my heart undivided to His Truth.
This year my second verse is Josuha 1:5 — No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you, — This was from my Jesus Calling devotional and as ‘stuff’ comes in life I want to claim this verse. I need to remember that regardless how things look, (Moses had to plea for a long time to get the Egyptians released, then he had to wander with them for 40 years!) God did not and will not forsake me.
SSMTC this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So glad to hear from you again, Peggy, and thank you for sharing your verse from last year as well!!!
How did you like Made to Crave? I did Lysa’s Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl this summer and it was wonderful! I also have the Jesus Calling devo, and several of my verses last year came from there. Great source!
So excited for SSMTC, hope to get to see you there!!!
Oh my, I am cracking up at this. When you posted this comment, you were a name and a tiny picture to me. Now you are a dear and deep forever friend!!! So grateful to have met you!!! Love, Christy
Hey Christy,
Sorry i didn’t comment yesterday. I was gone all day at a robotics competition with my boys. Also had to deal with the stress of driving in the snow.
My second verse for 2012:
Ps. 91:2 NIV 1984
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom i trust.
Last year, i was working through Ps. 84 and did verses 3 and 4 at this point.
Looking forward to meeting you on Friday. Need to work in earnest on transportation from the airport to the hotel Thursday night. Message me on FB and let me know what time you arrive Friday and how we can meet up before the festivities that evening 🙂
God bless!
Delores
Hi Delores!
No problem, two of my kids did FLL last year, so I understand how it is! Sounds like they did great though (from your comments on FB).
Thank you so much for sharing your verses from this year and last year! See you Friday!
Christy
Matilda, please feel free to share anything you like here! It’s an open forum!!! I’d love to hear more of your story, I’m sure others would as well, and with your permission, I’d like to share the story of how we met.
The Lord bless you and keep you!
Christy
Thank you Christy for making me feel welcome and comfortable. I will introduce myself in due time, but please, feel free to share the story of how we met.
Christy, I loved M2C it really spoke to me. I’m reading it again and am doing an online study on it that started this week. My accountability group and I are currently doing another of Lysa’s studies, What Happens When Women Say Yes To God. BUT — the best book, most life changing is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – it is something that you savor her writing is brilliant. I highly recommend both of them.
I’ll definitely get M2C then, you’re the 3rd person I’ve heard from who loved it. I also read 1000 Gifts last year, and I couldn’t agree more, absolutely life changing. Between that, Jesus Calling, and Crazy Love by Francis Chan the year before, it’s been an amazing time of spiritual transformation for me! Not to say that I’m “done” by a long shot. 🙂 Currently reading Down We Go by Kathy Escobar. I dare you to read it. 🙂
I haven’t heard of Down We Go – I’ll check it out. Love, love, love my Jesus Calling devotional. I think I need to read Crazy Love again, I was in a different place when I read it the first time. A couple of my friends and I are driving to PA in Feb to a retreat that Ann Voskamp is going to be speaking at (they just opened it to the public over the weekend.)
My verse last year was Romans 1:17, I had done 16 for my first verse of the year, then moved on to 17. Last year I was so concerned that I wouldn’t be able to do it, that I started off with what I thought I could do. Then as the year went on, I started doing more of what the Lord thought I could do!
This year my verse for this time is John 1: 16 – 18, NIV
From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God(the Father), but God, the One and Only (Jesus) who is at the Fater’s side, has made him known.
*Parentheses are my inserts.
Last year I really took the time to read and study my way through Romans. I learned so much about how the law and grace all hang together, that I am still fascinated when I run across other verses on the same topic. It’s intersting to me to hear John and Paul teachings on it.
Tammy
So glad to “see” you again Tammy! Isn’t it amazing what the Lord can do in us when we let Him? Love the book of Romans, and how beautiful that you are seeing it tie on to your study of John this year!
Are you attending the SSMT Celebration this year? I’ll be there, getting so excited!
Yes, I will be there, excited and nervous too. I am driving in from Corpus, which doesn’t bother me at all, but I don’t know my way around Houston at all. So, praying I don’t get lost! How about you? Where are you staying or do you live there?
If anyone is staying at the Omni, I would sure like to hook up for rides, especially Friday night. I will have my car, but no idea where I am going, and my phone is not “smart!” So, no gps on it.
So glad you were able to meet up with some Siestas! Thank you so much for sharing about your teaching with the ladies back home!
Sorry to be a Johnetta-Come-Lately, but here are my verses
Last years, which I found years ago while preparing a lesson on Jesus and the Hemorrhaging Woman, is in many ways my life verse: from Isaiah 30:21-22 NET Bible: You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, ‘This is the correct way, walk in it; whether you are heading to the right or to the left. You will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away as if they were a menstrual rag, saying to them Get Out.”
For 2012, my original choice from Isaiah 43:16 The New Jerusalem Bible: The people I have shaped for myself will broadcast my praises.
And, this companion verse from Romans 10:15 which I added after watching the SSMT Celebration on Simulcast yesterday: And how will there be preachers if they are not sent?As scripture says: How beautiful are the feet of the messemger of good news!”
Hello AdeleAlys! Better late than never, delighted to have you here! And I’m so glad to hear you were able to participate via the simulcast! I love that verse from Romans, so appropriate after our encouraging weekend!
Christy,
It was nice meeting you in Houston. It’s so wonderful to see how many women are participating in memorizing scripture. I am thinking about my verses for this year…..trying to decide whether I should do a whole chapter or individual verses like I’ve been doing for the last few years. It was hard to get up this morning and realize we won’t all be together worshipping and studying God’s word, but we will pray to remain faithful and to be filled with the Holy Spirit! Have a blessed week, siesta!
Hi Janet,
It was great to meet you as well! I know exactly what you mean, it’s a little hard to come down off the mountain and get back to real life! 🙂 My friend Cara and I are memorizing the sermon on the mount this year, that’s Matthew 5, 6 & 7. Even if you don’t want to memorize that passage, I’m sure she’d be delighted to have you check in on her blog as well, she’ll be posting a set of verses each Saturday. http://saltandgrace.wordpress.com/
You have a blessed week too, napster! 🙂 (so glad you told us that)
Christy
Christy – I guess I’m living in the past! I went to the old post. I am still learning this blog stuff! Better late than never. Speaking of that – I’m finally getting a smart phone next month when our contract runs out!! Maybe someday I’ll have a facebook page!! I’ll try to make it tothe right page for the 2/1/12 verse posting. See, look at how this is growing!!! I told you so! God is SO GOOD!
I love you,
Linda
Oh Linda, you are a woman wise beyond your years!!! You were right, that is for sure! So excited to hear that you are getting a smart phone (hear that Peggy? :-)). If you get an iPhone we can FaceTime! I love you too, dear friend!
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Col 4:2,5-6
Hi Christy,
So glad and grateful to be finally jumping in on your scripture memory blog! What a blessing!
This first piece of scripture is full of what I want to be about this year: prayer, being watchful of how God is working in and around me; being thankful for all the Lord allows in my life; and finally, relating to others with grace and wisdom from above. At lot to ask for and incorporate into my life….good thing this is the first verse for 2012 and I’ll have all year to meditate on and pray for this!. 🙂
Hi Robin, thank you so much for stopping by! Your verse is one of my all-time favorites, great way to start they year! 🙂
I love the verses you shared. I know this scripture, but I even as I read it today, it sounded so new, so refreshing and assuring. It serves as I reminder of how I should live each waking moment of my life. – Thanks Robin for sharing
Oh Blessings, Blessings, Blessings! Today,Showers of BLESSINGS…~…ON MY BLACKBERRY, admist 2 tons of undone laundry, 4 important TO~DO lists that are waiting to be finished, but am waiting on finishing the to-do list on how to finsh my TO~DO list. Reminders everywhere of a neglected home. VERY BEHIND in my workload, kids schooling using LEAP FROG Cartoons as a cirriculum, untouched home duties, and a pile of mail “Is a RED bill from the phone company bad or are they being festive?? no worries, after we pay it, we still have like, $23…for the next 11 days”
And right there, while in my PJ’s, God graces me with the most special kind of blessing. A kindred Spirit, a sister in Christ who makes me laugh, whom is filled with the Holy Spirit.Who knows what I mean when I talk about the safety I feel when I hold my Bible to my chest.
A WOMAN who compulsively buys books for others, and doesnt know for WHO (I have a had an extra copy of an amazing book…”Blue like Playdough” for 2 months~ I bought 13, gave all but 1 away, God has never said anything about the last copy, so it sat ~and this afternoon my last copy got wrapped, and “Christy” sharpied across the wrapping paper…lol booke exchange on Monday! Hooray!)
You kept me calm today, and focused my heart towards peace.
We talked about God’s word, and our kids, and sitting next to “Mini Beth Moore” (squeal) , people we have both known for years, young love, and mom’s hopes for their kids future, and a couple times we didn’t even know what we were talking about.
Through you, God revealed Himself to me, on one of the hardest days in my life.
My heart somehow truly trusted Him all the way to the hospital While recieving 5 hours of multipile diagnosis for my 7 year old,-maintained a peace that this was God’s plan,and it IS PERFECT, and IT IS SETTLED. Grateful the oppurtunity and blessing of total surrendeer, to know in all of life’s heartbreaking turn of events, it His for His glory.
ALL THAT, all that HAPPENED on a BLACKBERRY, in my unkept bedroom, buried under all the unfinished jobs i am responsiable to do. Things that normally cause me anxiety, irritation, fear, hoplesness, just a I really suck day. As the enemy, would have slyly, reinforced all that is not of GOD.
God knew what I needed and he gave it to me so lovingly, and more then what I asked -10 fold. Offered me a shelter to heal. Honestly, I have been so anguished, I never even took the time to ask, and He brought it to me.
Today my scripture:
Isaiah 46:10
“I make known the end from the beginning,from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand and I will do as I please.
And then quickly follow with I Cor 4:13-18 with MY name.
2 minute break –
Matthew 5:4-7 to follow to be reminded me as an old Rabbi so eloquently said “my abasement is my exultation;he who wished to make a name for himself loses his name….” Rabbi Hillel 1200BC
ALL ON A BLACKBERRY! I am breaking out into a redition of “Great is Thy Faithfulness” as we speak!
Thank you Mrs Pond – God used you today so that “his son may be reveled in you”…and you were just going for a good hair day….
TO my very cool Sistah – Thanks!
Cris
Oh my goodness girl, your post made me cry! Our conversation blessed me, surprised me and awed me just as much as you describe! It can’t be said often enough, the LORD is soooooo good!!! Love, love, love your verses, all of them! Thank you so much for stopping by here, I look forward to journeying together! A blessing for you today and always:
The LORD bless you and keep you,
The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you,
The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
With my love, Christy
I pray for peace of mind, and strength for you Ms Cris. God surly carries you through the day. I am amazed by your description of your day. Remain blessed
Sorry fo the bad spelling = 1:10am/ gone nuts / – dont let Emma know I cant spell reponsiable…
🙂
Mrs VK
Your secret is safe with me! 🙂